1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to a telephone instrument having a handset and base unit and, more particularly, to a telephone instrument of the kind in which the base unit presents a smooth surface to permit easy cleaning.
2. Description of the Background
Various different constructions for telephone instruments have been proposed over the years, however, even with the advent of modern materials and fabrication techniques, the overall designs of telephones in general still leave room for improvement. One such area of improvement relates to the material from which telephones are made, which have evolved from the original Bakelite to modern Styrene plastics, and one drawback is the susceptibility to breakage with such brittle materials. Moreover, with many new manufacturers of telephone instruments on the scene today, the materials are even less substantial and typically are thin injection-molded plastics, which frequently crack and break during normal usage.
Another problem in conventional telephones relates to their susceptibility to moisture and the like, thus, generally prohibiting outdoor use, unless they are specifically hermetically sealed.
Of the many different constructions for a telephone instrument intended for table top or desk top use, all such instruments provide cradle in the base formed having walls or a depressed receptacle to receive the handset. Exemplary of this construction are design patents U.S. Pat. No. Des. 281,242 and U.S. Pat. No. Des. 257,977. Each of these designs provide a walled receptacle area in the base of the telephone instrument for receiving the handset. It has been found that these recessed receptacle areas attract dirt and grime, and are difficult to keep clean.